Royal gramma

Lore & Background

The royal gramma has a light purple to deep violet head that fades mid-body to a golden yellow at the tail. It has a small black spot on the front of the dorsal fin and a black line through the eye. It resembles the false gramma (Pictichromis paccagnellae), but the false gramma has clear fins and a distinct color change rather than a fade. The royal gramma averages slightly over 8 cm and has been tank bred. Its natural range covers the Bahamas, Venezuela, Antilles, Bermuda, and waters surrounding Central America and northern South America. It tends to swim near the bottom at depths between 1 and 20 m (3 and 60 ft). The royal gramma is a planktivore, feeding mostly on zooplankton and crustaceans, and also acts as a cleaner fish by removing ectoparasites from other fish. Breeding pairs are difficult to distinguish because the difference between male and female is not visible, though males are usually larger. The male builds a nest among rocks using algae, leads the female to deposit 20–100 eggs, and then guards the nest, removing debris and barging into it. Eggs are about 1 mm and hatch in five to seven days, usually in the evening; larvae feed on rotifers until large enough for newly hatched brine shrimp.

Reader's Guide

The royal gramma is a small planktivore that consumes zooplankton and crustaceans, and also serves as a cleaner fish by removing ectoparasites from other fish. In the wild, it prefers to pick food from the middle of the water column and learns to eat dead foods such as crustaceans and fish flesh. Its natural range includes the Bahamas, Venezuela, Antilles, Bermuda, and waters around Central America and northern South America, where it inhabits reef environments at depths of 1 to 20 m, typically swimming near the bottom. In the aquarium trade, the royal gramma is considered an ideal inhabitant for most reef aquaria containing coral and other invertebrates due to its peaceful nature, diet, and small size. It stakes out territories among rocks and crevices, chooses favorite hiding places, and is protective of its territory, sometimes chasing out other small fish. When startled, it darts back into its holes and may open its mouth wide as a threat gesture. The fish often orients itself parallel to the nearest surface, swimming straight up and down or upside down beneath ledges—a behavior not to be mistaken for illness. It is resistant to most diseases and is considered a good beginner fish. Captive individuals accept frozen and meaty foods such as brine shrimp and mysis shrimp, as well as flake and pellet foods; rotating foods is said to prevent pickiness.

Did You Know?

• The royal gramma is also known as the fairy basslet.
• The largest scientifically-measured royal gramma was 8 cm long.
• Eggs are about 1 mm and equipped with small protuberances and threads that hold them in the algae nest.